The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said the ban is intended to help educate parents about safe sleep practices for babies.

"Because crib bumper pads offer no meaningful benefit and pose potentially serious risks to infants, including suffocation and death, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health all advise against their use," the department wrote in a statement.

State health officials said it's best for babies to sleep alone on their back and in a crib free of blankets, pillows, fluffy toys, crib bumpers or stuffed animals.

The ban applies to crib bumpers that are made of non-mesh type material, rest directly above the mattress along the length of each of the interior sides of the crib and are intended to be used until the age that an infant pulls to stand.

Violations for selling crib bumper pads to Maryland consumers involve warnings or a fine of up to $500 per item shipped or sold.

State health officials adopted the policy in November after more than a year of expert and public testimony.